Sometimes life can come at you fast in the NBA. In that respect, the next six weeks represent the league at its transition finest, loaded with key dates on the personnel calendar.

While Dec. 15 marked the first day that players signed in the offseason as free agents could be dealt, the silence was deafening, many teams either yet to establish an identity or already had forged with one entering the season.

But now come deadlines and start dates for more subtle maneuvering that could have plenty of secondary talent being transitioned.

Jan. 5: This is the first date that teams can sign players to 10-day contracts.

For many teams it is an opportunity to test drive options without a significant commitment, provided they have an available spot on their 15-player NBA roster.

While the Heat have used the mechanism in recent years to work with the likes of Tyler Johnson in 2015 and Okaro White last January, they currently do not have an available roster spot.

The most likely avenue to opening a 10-day slot for the Heat would be the release of center A.J. Hammons, who has spent the entire season with the developmental-league Sioux Falls Skyforce, without a sniff of the Heat roster during the regular season (remember how he was sent to the G League to make up for the training camp he lacked with the Heat?).

The downside of such a move with Hammons, who appears to have no future on the Heat's NBA roster, would be losing the ability utilize his salary in a trade this season, plus having to eat the guaranteed $1.5 million he has on his contract for 2018-19.

Teams are allowed to sign a player for up to two 10-day contracts, after which they either must sign the player for the balance of the season or release him.

Jan. 10: This is when all contracts become guaranteed for the season, other than those players signed to 10-day contracts.

The lone player on the Heat payroll this applies to is Hammons, because of the minimal differential between the contract he signed while with the Dallas Mavericks and the new salary minimums in the current collective-bargaining agreement.

This could, however, be a time when intriguing names shake free elsewhere, possibly to fortify roster depth. Among the players cut around the NBA at last season's guarantee deadline were Anthony Bennett, John Lucas III, Pierre Jackson, Alonzo Gee, John Jenkins, Ryan Kelly, Hollis Thompson, Aaron Harrison and Reggie Williams.

Jan. 15: This is the final day that players can be signed to two-way contracts for 2017-18.

This is where it gets curious with the 45-day limit that two-way players are allowed to spend in the NBA.

That 45-day limit is pro-rated, so a player signed at the Jan. 15 deadline would be allowed about 23 days of NBA service the balance of the season.

With this the first season of two-way contracts, it will be interesting to see the approach teams take with two-way players close to the expiration of their NBA service days. Do they willingly keep them in the G League for the balance of the season? Convert them to standard NBA deals by opening a spot on the 15-man roster? Or replace them with another two-way player?

For example, the Heat could be out of NBA days with Derrick Walton Jr. by then. Do they then make a move for a different two-way player (teams can carry up to two at a time) to get more available days in advance of the Feb. 8 trading deadline?

Feb. 8: The dynamic has changed, with the trade deadline moved up two weeks, to afford players and teams the ability to better transition around the Feb. 16-18 All-Star break.

The Heat were idle at last year's trading deadline, but made tax-clearing moves with Chris Andersen and Jarnell Stokes at the 2016 deadline and acquired Goran Dragic at the 2015 deadline.

This also could be a time when the Heat move on from Hammons to open a roster spot, or include his remaining salary in a trade.

iwinderman@sunsentinel.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ira.winderman

IN THE LANE

ALL GROWN UP: The Cleveland Cavaliers' Christmas Day loss to the Golden State Warriors was a reminder to Dwyane Wade of how much Kevin Durant has grown as a player since Wade, LeBron James and the Heat defeated Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2-12 NBA Finals. "He's definitely a different defender now," Wade, now with the Cavaliers, told reporters. "He's always been a long guy, but now when you have the supporting cast he has, it allows him to focus more on different things. At that time scoring was his main thing. In that series against us, he guarded the likes of Mario Chalmers. Now he's guarding LeBron. He’s taken the challenge. He's definitely grown up and he's on a team that has allowed him to showcase all of his talents."

STEPPING UP: The latest step in the evolution of former Heat prospect Briante Weber was a Christmas Day showcase as the Houston Rockets' starting point guard against the Thunder, in the injury absence of Chris Paul. "Every minute I get, I'll be more comfortable with the players that's out there," said Weber, who had been playing the Rockets' G League affiliate. As with the Heat, Rockets coaches have stressed the need to step into shots with confidence, even with his erratic jumper. "I like his swagger a little bit," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni told the Houston Chronicle.

BACK AT IT: Speaking of former Heat players moving on Houston, Gerald Green, who spent 2015-16 with the Heat and '16-17 with the Celtics, has returned to his hometown Rockets. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said it could be the perfect landing spot. "Obviously, he's a guy that can score the ball," said Stevens, whose team addressed that need with the offseason additions of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum. "He's a guy that's been doing it for a long time. He was fun to have around. He's a big reason we advanced out of the first round. I thought him starting in that Bulls series and spreading the floor and being able to guard up a spot [at power forward] is no easy task. Gerald is a really accomplished guy. I think it makes a lot of sense. He fits perfect for how they play."

OVER THERE: A pair of former Heat players recently have found overseas landing spots, with guard Toney Douglas signing to play in Turkey with Anadolu Efes Istanbu and forward Derrick Williams in China with Tianjin Gold Lions. Douglas finished last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, with Williams finishing last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, after starting the season with the Heat.

IN FAVOR: So should the turnover chain be retried (the University of Miami says it won't) following the Orange Bowl? Heat forward and Hurricanes fanatic Udonis Haslem says no. "I mean as far as those guys to go out there and play hard and they want to get a turnover so they can get that chain, I can see the inspiration behind it," he said. "It probably should last a little longer."

NUMBER

2. Times entering December that Heat forward Josh Richardson had been the high scorer in a game over the first two-plus seasons of his career, having done in four times in December alone, entering the weekend.